Gerald Ronson received a lifetime achievement award at the inaugural Norwood property awards — part of the charity’s ninth annual property lunch which was held last Friday and raised £400,000.
Receiving the award in front of 550 property players at the InterContinental in Park Lane, Mr Ronson suggested that the honour “may imply that I am nearing the end of my career. But I am not planning to go anywhere for a while — there are plenty more deals to be done.”
Nick Leslau was named personality of the year, Leo Noe was named top philanthropist and John Burns took deal of the year for presiding over the £1 billion-plus merger between Derwent Valley Holdings and London Merchant Securities.
David Goldstone with Naomi Mushin, who made the fundraising appeal
Guests were shown a film about the difference made by Norwood’s employment service, which identifies job opportunities for learning disabled adults and prepares them for a work environment. Naomi Mushin, one of those featured in the film, made the fundraising appeal, along with David Goldstone, a volunteer consultant to the employment service.
Norwood chief executive Norma Brier said the lunch “always brings together a diverse group who feel a shared sense of social responsibility and commitment to our work supporting people living with disability and coping with social difficulties”.